10 Can’t Miss Events During PDX Beer Week

Festival season is officially here in Portland!

The kickoff of PDX Beer Week feels like it’s become the official start of Summer in Portland. With multiple events every day, including tap-takeovers, seminars and festivals, there’s so much to do over this 12 day “week.”

Here’s a breakdown of the best events to check out, all starting tomorrow!

Kickoff Party at the Oregon Zoo

• Date(s) & Times: Thursday June, 7th. 4:00pm to 9:00pm
• Location: Oregon Zoo
• Cost: $34.95
• What You Get: Admission to the Oregon Zoo, a collectible glass, and four 7oz drink tickets
• Tickets and Website: Tickets and additional details available via the Oregon Zoo Website.
• Beer and Food: 17 breweries and cideries, plus 11 food vendors will be there.
• Why You Shouldn’t Miss It: Last year’s kickoff was my favorite event during PDX Beer Week. There will be ax throwing, A-Wol dancers, a photo booth, cornhole, ladder ball, washers, giant Jenga, giant Connect Four and music by DJ Nine Inch Nilina.

Loyal Legion Showcase

• Date(s) & Times: All week, June 7th – 17th.
• Location: Loyal Legion
• Cost: various specials including a different $3 pint each day, up to $4 off taster trays, discounts on cellared beers and growler fills.
• What You Get: different tap takeovers and events throughout the week.
• Tickets and Website: no tickets required. Website.
• Why You Shouldn’t Miss It: Loyal Legion, who always features 99 predominantly Oregon taps, is the homebase for PDX Beer Week this year. There will be flights of whiskeys distilled from beers. pFriem will be hosting a kickoff showcase Thursday night and featuring their barrel-aged beers from the 7th through the 10th. North Carolina brewers Burial will also be hosting a showcase on the 14th & 15th which shouldn’t be missed. So if you’re not quite sure where to go or what’s going on, check into Loyal Legion and they’ll point you in the right direction.

Portland Fruit Beer Fest

• Date(s) & Times: Friday June 8th, 4 to 9pm; Saturday June 9th, 11am to 9pm; Sunday June 10th, 11am to 6pm
• Location: Burnside Brewing
• Cost: $20 with plastic cup, $25 with souvenir glass
• What You Get: either a plastic or glass cup, 12 drink tickets
• Tickets and Website: tickets
• Beer and Food:  20+ beers and ciders on tap Friday, 30+ taps Saturday & Sunday. Pizza, Bratwurst, Pretzels and Ice Cream will all be available, plus Burnside Brewing is always serving food as well.
• Why You Shouldn’t Miss It: this has become one of my favorite festivals of the year. I love the unique, one-off creations on tap and the constantly rotating rare and special taps. Ask anyone who goes to this each year and they’ll probably allude to going with the same group of friends each year. It’s quickly becoming a Portland tradition that’s not to be missed!

Wayfinder Beer Anniversary Pig Roast

• Date & Time: Sunday June 10th, 12:00pm to 11:00pm
• Location: Wayfinder Beer
• Cost: Free Admission
• Tickets and Website: event listing
• Beer and Food: Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Fresh Wayfinder Beer
• Why You Shouldn’t Miss It: over the past year, Wayfinder has already made a name for themselves with their tasty German-style beers and delicious menu. If you haven’t checked out their awesome space featuring their large patio, this would be a great time to do it!

Sour & Wild Ale Seminar

• Date & Time: Thursday June 14th, 5:30pm to 8:00pm
• Location: Culmination Brewing
• Cost: $46
• What You Get: 8+ rare samples from each of the four panelists breweries.
• Tickets and Website: Tickets (limited)
• Why You Shouldn’t Miss It: this was one of the first events I ever covered as a beer writer and still think it’s one of the coolest I’ve been to in Portland. The panel will feature brewers at the top of their game including Paul Arney from The Ale Apothecary, Ben Edmunds of Breakside Brewing, Mark Goodwin from Burial Beer, and Josh Pfriem of pFriem Family Brewers. If you’re just starting to dig into sour and wild ales, this is the perfect opportunity to learn all about these amazing styles.

Masters of IPA

• Date & Time: Friday June 15th, 4:00pm to 9:00pm
• Location: Ecliptic Brewing
• Cost: $10
• What You Get: custom glassware, 5 tasting tickets. Additional tickets $2 each.
• Tickets and Website: Tickets and Event Site
• Why You Shouldn’t Miss It: this event features a “murderers row” of IPA brewers, many of whom will be in attendance. Reuben’s, Pizza Port, Cloudburst, Sunriver, Block 15, Grains of Wrath, Georgetown, Fort George, Barley Browns, Boneyard, Great Notion, Noble Ale Works, Cellarmaker Brewing, Three Magnets, Matchless, Comrade Brewing, Bale Breaker, Breakside, Modern Times, Ecliptic, Revision, and Beachwood Brewing/Blendery. Enough said.

Portland Beer & Cheese Festival

• Date & Time: Saturday June 16th, 12:00pm to 3:00pm
• Location: Culmination Brewing
• Cost: $36
• What You Get: 10 excellent beer and cheese pairings
• Tickets and Website: Tickets and Event Site
• Why You Shouldn’t Miss It: if you’ve never done a beer pairing, you’re definitely missing out. The 10 pairings on hand look amazing and since this is curated by Portland’s own Cheese Bar, it’s certain to be unfortgetable. The pairings:

Von Ebert Brewing: Pils / TMK Creamery: Fresh Curds
Montavilla Brew Works: Farmhouse Ale / Umapine Creamery: Just Cheese
Ex Novo Brewing: Marionberry Gose / Central Coast Creamery: Ewenique
Culmination Brewing: Barrel Saison / Portland Creamery: Mustard Tarragon Chèvre
pFriem Family Brewers: Flanders Blond / Tillamook: 2013 Vintage Cheddar
Wayfinder Beer:  Dark Lager / Mariposa: Peppercorn Chubut
Stormbreaker Brewing: Dry-Hop Red / Cascadia Creamery: Sleeping Beauty
Dirty Pretty Brewing: Barleywine / Willamette Valley Cheese Co. Boerenkaas
Breakside Brewery: Wanderlust IPA / Briar Rose: Feta
Grains of Wrath Brewing: Dark Strong / Twin Sisters Creamery: Whatcom Blue

Breakside’s Woodlawn Block Party

• Date & Time: Saturday June 16th, 12:00pm to 8:00pm
• Cost: free admission
• What You Get: on hand there will be live music, various food vendors, specialty beers and more.
• Tickets and Website: Event Page
• Why You Shouldn’t Miss It: Breakside’s Dekum location has become a destination for serious beer folks over the past 8 years. They always put on a good party and this should be no different.

Snakebite Showdown

• Date & Time: Saturday June 16th, 1:00pm to 7:00pm
• Location: Widmer Brothers Pub & Beer Garden
• Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at the door
• What You Get: 6 drink tickets (4oz pours) and a souvenir glass
• Tickets and Website: Tickets and Event Page
• Why You Shouldn’t Miss It: how often do you get to fuse the flavors of English-style beers and cider? Well, now Portland has a whole festival dedicated to it! Here’s the list of collaborators:

Portland Cider Co. + Widmer Brothers Brewing
2 Towns Ciderhouse + Flat Tail Brewing
Cider Riot + Kells Brewery
Bauman’s Cider + Culmination Brewing Company
HUB Cider + Hopworks Urban Brewery
New West Cider + Sasquatch Brewing Company
Reveille Ciderworks + Reach Break Brewing
Wandering Angus Ciderworks / Anthem Cider + Santiam Brewing Co.
Square Mile Cider Co. + Ecliptic Brewing
Swift Cider + Wild Ride Brewing
12 Bridge Ciderworks + Shattered Oak Brewing

Snackdown 3D! A Brewer/Chef Pairing Throwdown

• Date & Time: Sunday June 17th, 1:00pm to 4:00pm
• Location: The Evergreen (above Loyal Legion)
• Cost: $49
• What You Get: 10 small plates paired with 10 5oz pours and a souvenir glass.
• Tickets and Website: Tickets and Event Site
• Why You Shouldn’t Miss It: every year this fun pairing event and competition sees brewers and beer fans alike, dressing up in wrestling gear and hyping their pairings on the mic. There will also be a DJ on site. The pairings:

  Gigantic Brewing + Spätzle & Speck (at Park Avenue Wines)
  Dirty Pretty/Breakside Brewery + Loyal Legion
  Culmination Brewing + Toro Bravo
  Pono Brewing + Lardo
  Little Beast Brewing + Hotlips Pizza
  Buoy Beer + Danwei Canting
  Wayfinder Beer + Afuri
  Stormbreaker Brewing + Biwa
  Ecliptic Brewing + XLB
  Heater Allen Brewing + Mi Mero Mole